


They Teach You These Things at Seminars

by misura



Category: Intelligence (US TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Undercover as Married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 01:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2795126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Look," said Riley, "before we do this, I just want to say, well, let's not let things get weird, okay?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Teach You These Things at Seminars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tigerlady (shetiger)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shetiger/gifts).



"Look," said Riley, "before we do this, I just want to say, well, let's not let things get weird, okay?"

"Okay," Gabriel said. "Absolutely. Let's not let things get weird. Nothing but nice and normal married couple stuff."

"This is going to be _awesome_ ," Nelson said.

 

Fifty-six hours ago, Janet Halpern, age 10, had become an orphan. Fifty-five hours and forty-two minutes ago, a phone had rang in an office somewhere.

Forty-eight hours ago, Gabriel Vaughn had updated his relationship status from 'single' to 'married'.

"What, like on Facebook?" Riley scoffed. "You don't even _have_ a Facebook."

" _You_ do," Gabriel said, smiling the smile of those who feel entitled to be smug. "Or did, anyway. Some nice pictures on there."

"I deny everything. And anyway, you're bluffing."

"Maybe I am. And maybe I'm not. I mean, if we're going to do this, we should put up some photos, right? You and your old boyfriend, maybe - what's his name again? Looks a little like me."

"I was _twelve_ ," Riley said. "And he looked _nothing_ like you."

"He did when I was twelve," Gabriel said. "Come on, what do you say? High school sweethearts. Hey, you ask me nicely, I'll make you prom queen, how's that?"

 

Thirty-six hours ago.

"Who _is_ this girl?" Jameson asked. He'd been briefed on the mission, spent a couple of minutes trying to look like he wasn't laughing and was currently going over suitable houses.

"No one," Lillian said.

Cassidy looked up from his work station. Said nothing. Went back to work.

 

"She's on the Athens list," Riley said. "Isn't she?"

Cassidy blinked. Gabriel stiffened. "You're going to put a chip in her head?"

"Certainly not." Cassidy looked shocked and perhaps a little bit offended. "What kind of man do you think I am?"

"We're protecting her," Lillian said. "We need to make sure that the family she ends up with is right for her, that they'll act like good parents."

"You mean good Americans," Gabriel said.

"Can't we just - oh, I don't know, make that happen _without_ all this theater?" Riley said.

"I _mean_ ," said Lillian, "that we will go over their background with a fine-toothed comb and then make sure that wherever she goes, we'll be able to keep an eye on her. For her own safety."

"And to do that, you need me and Riley here to pretend we're married and looking to adopt."

"Simple plans are always best," Lillian said. "Don't you agree?"

"I'd have thought you'd both be quite happy to be going on a mission where nobody's likely to be shooting at you for once," Cassidy said. "Makes for a nice change, what?"

"Well, there's worse things than getting shot at," Gabriel said.

Riley glared at him. He mouthed a 'what?' at her.

Cassidy coughed. "On second thought, I take that back."

 

"I didn't mean it like _that_ ," Gabriel said.

"No? Then what did you mean it like?"

"Just," Gabriel said, "in general, you know? I mean, we're friends, we're partners, we like each other. Doc's right; this is going to be a walk in the park."

Riley slipped another knife into a hidden compartment of her suitcase. "So now you're saying I'm easy?"

"Is there a way out of this conversation that doesn't involve you biting my head off?"

Riley considered very briefly, then said, "Nope, don't believe there is."

"Yeah. Didn't think there was."

 

From the outside, the house looked ... nice. The right size for a young family, Gabriel supposed; there was a garden out back and a garage and even, to complete the idyllic picture, a white-picket fence.

"Let me guess," he told Jameson, "you put cameras in every room except the bathroom."

"Please," said Jameson, "like we've got nothing better to do with our time."

"You mean you did bug the bathroom, don't you?"

 

"Wow," said Riley. There was an entire wall full of pictures with their faces in them. To look at it, you'd assume the people who lived here had been on ski vacation, ridden an elephant, gone rock climbing in the Himalayas (well, Gabriel had, actually), partied at Mardi Gras and, many years ago, had been crowned Prom Queen and King at their high school.

"Reminds you of all the stuff you _didn't_ get to do?" Gabriel asked.

Riley shrugged. "I made my choices. I don't regret them. You?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No. A few, maybe. But hindsight's like that, isn't it? Once you know how things turn out, it's easy to say you wish you'd chosen a different path."

"Yeah? Well, I don't know about you, but I got to say I'm pretty happy with where I am right now."

"You mean here with me?" Gabriel arched an eyebrow. "Married and living in some nice, boring home in a nice, boring neighborhood where everybody knows each other?"

"I meant my job."

"Of course you did."

 

"Don't you think we should get a dog?"

"Why?"

"I don't know." Gabriel looked around. "This looks like that kind of house."

"When I grew up, I wanted a pony."

"It's good to have dreams," Gabriel said.

"I prefer a real job, co-workers I can trust and a gun," Riley said.

 

There were two bedrooms.

"Kid's not going to live here, I guess," Gabriel said. "Unless the plan was for one of us to sleep on the couch, that is."

"It wouldn't be my first time."

"Wouldn't be mine, either. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Well, right now, there's two of us, and two bedrooms," said Riley. "So, no problem."

"Yeah, and even if, you know. That wouldn't have to be a problem."

"Absolutely. We'll just do a coin toss for the couch or something."

Gabriel looked at her. "I was thinking more along the lines of: it's a big bed, we're both adults, and even though I'm aware of my smoking hot looks and winning personality, I know I can trust you to keep your hands to yourself."

"Ha," said Riley.

"You mean you don't think you can?"

"I think we're not going to flip a coin for the couch," Riley said. "It's going to be all yours. Oh, and for the record, I trust you, too."

 

"This is better than watching a romantic comedy," Nelson said, grabbing some more popcorn without taking his eyes off the monitor.

"And vaguely creepy and morally suspect," Jameson said.

"That, too. Still, it's not like they're going to _do_ anything."

 

"Your bedhair is really cute."

"Thanks, I think." Gabriel poured himself a cup of coffee. "So what's on the program for today?"

"Making nice with the neighbors. Establish our cover. Browse through the list of candidate parents for little Janet and weed out the bad apples."

"Exciting stuff."

 

"I love this movie."

" _The Princess Bride_? Wouldn't have thought it'd be your kind of thing."

Riley shrugged. "It's romantic."

"So, what? The man of your dreams is an expert swordsman on a white horse?"

"Not exactly. What about you?"

"Huh." Gabriel took a sip from his beer. "The man of my dreams? That's a tough one."

"Funny."

 

"Zachary Quinto."

"Not bad," Jameson said. "Jeremy Renner."

"Not bad, either."

 

"But seriously," Riley said, "I guess I can't really picture making anyone from the outside a big part of my life right now, you know? I mean, this job - I love it, but it's not - "

"I know," Gabriel said. "Also, just so you know, I put the surveillance cameras on loop. Anything you say or do from here on out, it'll be just between the two of us."

"You couldn't have done that earlier?"

"Hey, I didn't know you had a thing about rodents. I mean, you told me it was your favorite movie ever."

Riley sighed. "Fine. Never mind."

"With Amelia, it was hard sometimes," Gabriel said. "Not knowing where she was, or knowing, and not being able to talk to her, or go there to make sure she was all right."

"You were lucky."

"Yeah."

"With Griff, it was - well, heat of the moment. Not even a real relationship or anything like that."

"That's a shame," Gabriel said. "I mean, not him, specifically, but missing someone in your life you can share stuff with."

Riley shrugged. "Can't miss what you never had."

"You don't feel you can share stuff with me?"

"Half the time, I don't even need to, do I?" said Riley.

"I like you," Gabriel said. "As my friend, and as my partner. And if you think it never crossed my mind that I'd like to find out what it's like to kiss you, you're dead wrong."

Riley looked at him. "It would be unprofessional. And inappropriate. And fun. So thanks, but no thanks."

"We're undercover. Nobody would ever need to know."

"Yeah, right."

"Or we could just prove we can make out in our spare time and still be totally professional on the job. I mean, if that's what you want."

"That does sound kind of good."

 

"See? Both bedrooms, empty," Nelson said. "It's almost midnight - where do you think they are?"

"The camera in the living room's still out," Jameson said. "Could be nothing. I mean, maybe they're there and it's just a coincidence that that camera's knocked out."

"I don't believe in coincidences," said Lillian. "Send a team."


End file.
